A celebration of the Navy will take place this Saturday in conjunction with Battleship Cove’s World War II History Weekend.

George Mendonsa, the man considered to be the “Kissing Sailor” in the iconic Life Magazine photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt on V-J Day, 1945, will be a special guest at Battleship Cove, on Saturday, Aug. 24 – Navy Day 2013, and the first day of Battleship Cove’s two-day WWII History Weekend.

Lawrence Verria, author of the “The Kissing Sailor: The Mystery Behind the Photo That Ended World War II,” and Mendonsa will be signing copies of the book on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. in the PT Boat building. “The Kissing Sailor” documents the story behind the photo that captured the spontaneous kiss celebrating the war’s end. There will be a special recognition from Barbara Baker Burrows, chief photo editor at Time Life Books and former long time photo editor at Life magazine regarding the identification of the “Kissing Sailor.”

“The Victory Kiss” a painting by celebrated artist, Jim Laurier commemorating the moment captured in Eisenstaedt’s photo, will also be unveiled at that time.

On Saturday and Sunday, more than 50 World War II living history re-enactors will bring the wartime experiences of the allied and axis troops to life through stories, a weapons display and vehicles from the era. The book-signing and living history experience are free with admission to Battleship Cove, which costs $17 for adults; $10.50 for kids ages 6 to 12; and admission is free for age 5 and younger.

The World War II living history will also extend to a Troop Train experience with excursions running on the Cape Cod Central Railroad. The living history “troops” will arrive on the train at 9 a.m. to kick off the day’s activities and the Troop Trains will depart throughout the day at 9:30, 11 a.m., 12:30, 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. from the Fall River Line Pier on Water Street. Tickets for the train ride with the World War II re-enactors cost $10 for adults and $5 for children age 5 and younger. The train tickets may be purchased on the train (cash only) and in the Battleship Cove gift shop (credit or debit cards only).

The Herald News organized this year’s Navy Day to pay tribute to the contributions of the U.S. Navy in lieu of the traditional Navy Week, which was cancelled earlier this year due to sequestration-related budget cuts.

The day will begin at 11 a.m. with a solemn wreath laying, followed by a day full of free events including a keynote speech and Q&A with Daniel Martinez, chief historian at the World War II Valor in the Pacific Monument at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, site of the USS Arizona Memorial.

An adjunct professor at the Naval War College in Newport, Martinez was host and historian-in-residence for the Discovery Channel’s “Unsolved History.”

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Last year, Martinez and Eric Nelson, president and CEO of Creative Differences produced the documentary “Pearl Harbor Declassified; 15 Minutes to Infamy,” which will be screened at Navy Day at 3 p.m. in the Heritage State Park theater following Martinez’ speech at 2 p.m.

The documentary uses recently declassified film footage shot by Eric Hankinsson, who was a doctor on the Navy medical ship USS Solace anchored in Pearl Harbor during the attack that culminated in the explosion of the USS Arizona.

A “Conversation with Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., Ret.,” the only surviving Naval aviation Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War, will take place between Hudner and Herald News reporter and columnist Marc Munroe Dion in front of a live audience at 4 p.m.

The interactive Navy STEM Tour (see story at right) will be on hand throughout the day, along with recruiters from the Navy and other branches of the military. The Tin Can Sailors, Marine League, Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services, Sea Cadets, Fall River Veterans Services, Disabled American Veterans and more are among Navy Day participants.

“It’s been wonderful to be able to pull together a day that we believe will truly honor all of those who have served us in the Navy, as well as in all branches of the military,” said Herald News Publisher Lisa Strattan. “I feel especially privileged to be working with Battleship Cove and the Marine Museum to make this event happen.

There will be an open house throughout the day at the Marine Museum – home to 20 military ship models – and free rides on the carousel. The Day will culminate with a free performance of the Navy Band Northeast in the area adjacent to the Carousel, beginning at 5 p.m.

Parking for Navy Day will be available in the lot behind the Marine Museum and the lot near the Fall River Carousel. A van service will be running all day long from the Bank Street Armory to Heritage State Park for those who park downtown in the areas around the armory.